5 Years Ago, A Modern Horror Master Delivered An Unforgettable Twist (& It Wasn’t M. Night Shyamalan)

When it comes to shocking plot twists, especially in horror movies, there is no name more associated with them than M. Night Shyamalan. The director has delivered some of the greatest twists ever, like Dr. Malcolm Crowe being dead the whole time in The Sixth Sense and the kids not visiting their real grandparents in The Visit. Alas, some of his twists have been lackluster, like the truth about the plants in The Happening and the attempt to overexplain everything going on in Old. However, the most stunning twist that can be found in any modern movie actually comes from the mind of another director. In fact, this is a filmmaker who is a master of the horror genre and it’s someone who should be known for their twists because, while they don’t have as many as Shyamalan, theirs are extremely impactful and memorable. That director is James Wan, who is synonymous with great horror.

James Wan has helmed some of the best modern horror movies of our time. He is even the mind behind iconic franchises like The Conjuring and the co-creator of Saw and Insidious. However, his standalone film from 2021 is his most inventive and wildest piece of work.

Malignant Has One Of The Wildest Movie Twists Ever

Released in 2021, Malignant is something of a hidden gem in modern horror. The selling point of the movie was having an accomplished genre director like James Wan behind it, but otherwise, it kind of looked like a pretty standard horror film. When you combine that with the fact that it was also released on HBO Max on the same day that it hit theaters, Malignant ended up with a lame box office intake of around $35 million, which was less than its $40 million budget. However, those who saw Malignant know it’s destined to become a cult classic.

Malignant centers on a woman named Madison (Annabelle Wallis) who begins to have visions of people getting brutally murdered, only to learn that the killings are actually taking place in real life. The movie delivers a truly shocking twist when it gets revealed that Madison was actually committing the killings when she was taken over by Gabriel, her parasitic twin brother who appeared as a half-formed child who grew out of her back. Although the twin was surgically removed, he could still control Madison at times. Visually, it’s one of the most jarring sights in any film.

The twist is masterfully pulled off because it makes sense in the absurd world of the film while also being something that nobody sees coming. It’s the kind of twist that makes you pause the movie to reconsider everything you thought about it. Malignant isn’t done there, as it takes that twist and only gets wilder from there. The movie throws in some impressively choreographed fight scenes and races to a finish that cements it as a truly great, yet underrated horror project. Malignant certainly has a memorable twist, but it’s not the only one James Wan has pulled off on screen.

James Wan Isn’t Known For Twists But He Has Two Of The Best In Horror History

As noted, James Wan is a modern master of horror. His resume speaks for itself, though he’s not known as a master of twists. Projects like The Conjuring and Insidious are great horror films on their own, but they don’t feature the kind of memorable twist that will have people talking for years to come. Malignant has a shake-up like that and so does James Wan’s feature directorial debut. In 2004, he directed Saw, which spawned one of the biggest franchises in the genre and it features a masterful twist.

While everyone is focused on the two main characters dealing with being trapped in a bathroom with a dead body, you finally think you know everything when one of them cuts off his foot and leaves to get help for them. However, the corpse stands up in one of cinema’s most shocking moments. He reveals himself to be the person behind it all and this twist takes the film to the next level in terms of how memorable and great it is. Without it, it’s likely that Saw never becomes the success that it was.

The twist in Saw will go down as the greatest one in horror history, given how iconic it is and what it did for a franchise. However, the one in Malignant has a case for the best in modern horror cinema. It’s a testament to James Wan that he was behind both of these. We can only hope he has another one in store for us somewhere in the future.

Malignant can currently be rented on Prime Video, Apple TV, and Fandango at Home.